Putting together the Blichmann TopTier that is supposed to arrive later this week. Saturday is assembly and plumbing and testing. Sunday is my first batch on the new system; american IPA (simcoe/amarillo), it's the recipe I'm most familiar with from my old system, and therefore the one I feel most comfortable with making changes to on the fly based on efficiency and such.

About time, too. I bottled my last batch on Sunday, and now have nothing but empty fermentors.

Ballpark Pils (CAP). Made a big starter today. This will be batch number 100!!

Congratulations! And way to buck tradition by doing a not huge beer. I did an RIS for #100 and ended up with a half gallon of my first runnings on the floor because I forgot to close a tap So much for experience bringing wisdom.

Tomorrow I'm brewing a small batch of a Belgian Pale to try out Calypso hops I bought on a whim from Hops Direct. They describe them as having apple and pear aromas but the first reports I've seen, people are saying citrusy. And since it's supposed to rain, I decided to do an SN Celebration type IPA, too. I love having bulk ingredients on hand.

No brewing for me this weekend. I need to buy another sack of grain before I can do any brewing again, unless I want to pick up some extract. Hmmmmm, I haven't done an extract beer for quite some time, this could be an opportunity to do it again, for kicks.

Tomorrow I'm brewing a small batch of a Belgian Pale to try out Calypso hops I bought on a whim from Hops Direct. They describe them as having apple and pear aromas but the first reports I've seen, people are saying citrusy.

Cool! I bought them as well on a whim. Sound somewhat similar to Citra, plus you can't beat $8.95/lb. Let us know how the beer turns out. Curious to hear if the beer experience matches Hopdirects description.

I am brewing a tripel right now....sparging as I type this. Using a malt made here in Montana....funny thing, it comes in sacks labeled "Malteurop" Sure smells malty.

I am also using a slurry of the BrewTek CL300 yeast. First time I've used this yeast. A month or so ago, I was cleaning out my dorm fridge in the basement, and I found a slant of this yeast......5 years old. One of the guys in my club took and, and after 4 days on the stir plate it started. He brewed a saison with it, and gave me the slurry from that Sunday night.

Tomorrow I'm brewing a small batch of a Belgian Pale to try out Calypso hops I bought on a whim from Hops Direct. They describe them as having apple and pear aromas but the first reports I've seen, people are saying citrusy.

Cool! I bought them as well on a whim. Sound somewhat similar to Citra, plus you can't beat $8.95/lb. Let us know how the beer turns out. Curious to hear if the beer experience matches Hopdirects description.

I didn't open the hops until today. I got a big blast of fresh pear when I sniffed the bag so I added a flameout addition to try to pick up on that. I may dry hop, too. I'm really curious how this will turn out and will post about my results.